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QUALITY OF LIFE

And the city offering the best quality of life is…?

Paris may be the City of Romance and the City of Lights but it is certainly not the "City of quality of life" according to the latest international rankings. The French capital was ranked well down the list,although ahead of London. But which city was top?

Published: 20 February 2014 09:47 CET
And the city offering the best quality of life is...?
Photo: AFP

The latest world rankings for the cities that offer the best quality of life are in, and unfortunately for Parisians the French capital is a long way from the top.

Out of 223 cities worldwide the City of Light and Romance was ranked just 27th. Top of the table was the Austrian capital Vienna, followed by Zurich in Switzerland and then Auckland in New Zealand.

In fourth place came Munich and in fifth was Vancouver in Canada. The French capital was also ranked behind the German cities of Dusseldorf (6th) Frankfurt (7th) and Singapore (25th) which was the highest ranked Asian city.

The lowest ranked city in Europe was Tbilisi in Georgia.

Parisians who are enormously proud of their city can console themselves however on the fact their city was ranked ahead of London (38th), Madrid (50th) and Rome (51st). It was placed behind the popular German capital of Berlin which came in in 16th place.

The highest ranking U.S. city was San Francisco, at joint 27th with Paris, while New York was at number 43. 

“European cities enjoy a high overall quality of living compared to those in other regions. Healthcare, infrastructure, and recreational facilities are generally of a very high standard. Political stability and relatively low crime levels enable expatriates to feel safe and secure in most locations. The region has seen few changes in living standards over the last year,” said Slagin Parakatil, senior researcher at Mercer.

SEE ALSO: What is the best city in the world for students?

Propping up the table was the Iraqi city of Baghdad, which finished one place below Bangui, the capital of Central African Republic, which has been devastated by sectarian violence.

There was good news for France however with the city of Pointe-A-Pitre in its overseas territory of Guadeloupe topping the rankings for Central and South America.

Management consultants Mercer, conducts its Quality of Living survey annually to help multinational companies and other employers decide on how much to pay employees posted-abroad.

The survey, carried out in Autumn last year looks at 39 different factors of life in a city grouped into 10 categories, such as Housing, Public Services, Medical and Health, and Transport and Recreation.

The scores for each factor are weighted to reflect their importance to expatriates.

SEE ALSO: The best places in France for quality of life

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PARIS

Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Efforts to relocate wild rabbits that are a common sight on the lawns of the historic Invalides memorial complex have provoked criticism from animal rights groups.

Published: 14 February 2024 13:01 CET
Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Tourists and Parisians have long been accustomed to the sight of wild rabbits frolicking around the lawns of Les Invalides, one of the French capital’s great landmarks.

But efforts are underway to relocate the fluffy animals, accused of damaging the gardens and drains around the giant edifice that houses Napoleon’s tomb, authorities said.

Police said that several dozen bunnies had been captured since late January and relocated to the private estate of Breau in the Seine-et-Marne region outside Paris, a move that has prompted an outcry from animal rights activists.

“Two operations have taken place since 25 January,” the police prefecture told AFP.

“Twenty-four healthy rabbits were captured on each occasion and released after vaccination” in Seine-et-Marne, the prefecture said.

Six more operations are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.

Around 300 wild rabbits live around Les Invalides, according to estimates.

“The overpopulation on the site is leading to deteriorating living conditions and health risks,” the prefecture said.

Authorities estimate the cost of restoring the site, which has been damaged by the proliferation of underground galleries and the deterioration of gardens, pipes and flora, at €366,000.

Animal rights groups denounced the operation.

The Paris Animaux Zoopolis group said the rabbits were being subjected to “intense stress” or could be killed “under the guise of relocation”.

“A number of rabbits will die during capture and potentially during transport,” said the group, accusing authorities of being “opaque” about their methods.

The animal rights group also noted that Breau was home to the headquarters of the Seine-et-Marne hunting federation.

The police prefecture insisted that the animals would not be hunted.

In 2021, authorities classified the rabbits living in Paris as a nuisance but the order was reversed following an outcry from animal groups who have been pushing for a peaceful cohabitation with the animals.

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